The moderating role of Confucian coping in the job demands–resources model in Chinese tertiary hospitals

Abstract

Background Medical staff in Chinese tertiary hospitals experience excessive workloads, increasing burnout vulnerability. Traditional cultural resources may influence their job attitudes, but this area remains unexplored. Purpose Based on the job demands–resources model, this study investigates how Confucian coping, as a personal culture resource, moderates the relationships among job demands, resources, engagement and burnout in Chinese medical staff. Methods Using an online self-administered survey, we collected data from 1653 medical staff members across 14 tertiary hospitals in China. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesised moderating pathways. Results Confucian coping demonstrated a significant positive moderating effect on the job resources–job engagement relationship and a significant negative moderating effect on the job demands–job burnout relationship. Conclusion Confucian coping serves as a significant personal resource for medical staff, mitigating burnout by buffering job demands and enhancing engagement by amplifying job resources. Originality By employing empirical analysis with the job demands–resources model, this study unravels how medical staff draw on Confucian coping functions and provides a new theoretical perspective for further study of the influence of cultural and psychological factors.